1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the outer packaging of articles so as to form outer-packaged lots of articles that each comprise a certain number of articles and an outer packaging that is made of cardboard (or the like) that surrounds the lot.
The invention applies quite especially to the case of fresh or ultra-fresh dairy products such as yogurts and the like, dessert creams, ice creams and the like, but also cheese products, compotes . . . . The invention also applies to products of different natures and/or destinations, but that can be considered to be analogous relative to their grouping in lots and their outer packaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such products are packaged in a primary packaging such as typically a carton made of plastic, waxed cardboard or the like designed to be closed by a lid. The term “carton” is to be broadly understood as comprising cartons, strictly speaking, but also baskets, cups, or any other form of analogous primary packaging. Conventionally, a primary packaging filled with its contents is called “article.” These articles (or primary packagings filled with their contents) are arranged on individualized pallets that comprise several articles side by side and attached to one another by being arranged in columns and/or lines with lines or fragile zones with lower strength between them. For example, a pallet comprises two cartons or four cartons that are arranged in two rows that each comprise two cartons or else six cartons in two rows that each comprise three cartons . . . . The primary packagings are arranged to form a group—or pack—comprising a single pallet of cartons or multiple pallets of superposed cartons that are surrounded by a secondary outer packaging for grouping and holding, in such a way that the unit forms a whole that can be manipulated, transported and stored by the consumer. Such an outer packaging is typically made of flat cardboard or a material that includes cardboard, starting from a blank that is cut out to have a suitable shape, which is then arranged around the pallet(s), and then folded and finally closed on itself.
For the production of such outer-packaged packs of articles, the contents to be packaged are arranged or manufactured, the primary packagings (cartons and lids) that are arranged on pallets are arranged or manufactured, and the individualized outer-packaging blanks are arranged or manufactured. Then, the articles themselves are produced, i.e., the primary packagings of each pallet are filled with the desired content(s), and then the primary packagings of each pallet are closed by installation of the lids. Then, the lots or packs are formed, and if they comprise multiple pallets, their grouping, for example superposition, is ensured. Then, around each lot or pack, an outer-packaging blank is arranged that is folded and that is closed on itself. A portion of these operations is carried out in outer-packaging machines.
Such an outer-packaging machine comprises an intake of articles on pallets, an intake of blanks, and a discharge of lots or packs comprising the articles and the outer packaging.
The purpose of the document EP-A-1116676 is an outer-packaging machine that comprises a conveyor that can accommodate successive groups of articles to direct them from an upstream location to a downstream location; one path of travel along which the articles are directed one by one toward said conveyor by being juxtaposed with one another; means for transferring the articles from the path of travel to the conveyor, able to grasp and group the articles for forming spaced packs; and a transporter that can, on the one hand, direct cardboard blanks, placed essentially flat on the transporter, one by one toward said conveyor, and arranging the blanks on the conveyor opposite the packs of articles; driving means and transfer means; and finally a device for command and control of driving means, able to apply to each driving means a speed profile that is selected from among a preprogrammed set of speed profiles for making it possible to regulate the spacing and/or the number of articles per pack based on the desired spacing and/or the type of pack.
The document EP-A-1112933 describes, within the framework of a machine such as the one described above, a system for conveying objects that comprises at least one endless conveyor that can direct the objects along a transport surface, whereby the conveyor comprises a number of uniformly spaced pushers, attached to a movable support of pushers, circulating continuously, in a single direction and periodically along a path in a closed loop that extends essentially in a conveying plane, perpendicular to the transport surface, whereby the trajectory is locally contiguous to the transport surface, in which each pusher is mounted to move between a so-called inactive position where the pusher is located at a distance from the transport surface and does not project from the latter, and a so-called active position where it projects at least partially from the transport surface to engage with an object and to push the latter along the transport surface, such that it is possible to vary the number of pushers simultaneously in active position and in this way to vary the distance between two active pushers.
The prior art also comprises the documents U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,675, EP 1530 541, US 2005/274091, WO 2007/038311, EP-A-1530541 and EP-A-1591364.
With the known outer-packaging machines with manipulators that are robotized and of the constant-spacing type in which the spacing is combined with the length of the packs or lots to be produced, the linear speed of the machine is to be adapted to the stream of pallets of articles that enter the machine. The smaller the number of articles per pack, the higher the linear speed of the machine. Significant accelerations or decelerations follow that inevitably affect the quality of operation of the machine and the lots or packs that are produced. The machine is to be adapted to the incoming stream, whereas the intake paths are not synchronized, such that to be certain that all of the incoming articles are taken by the manipulators, it is necessary to provide an adequate—high—number of such manipulators. In addition, it is necessary to anticipate the unstacking of the blanks requiring the transfer of blanks where there is an empty space on the conveyor of the articles. Also, it is necessary to begin the transport of the blanks at the beginning of production. In addition, the storage unit of blanks is located outside of the machine itself, and the unstacking of blanks is done upstream from the robotized zone. With such a machine, the spacing is fixed, and it is not possible to adapt the speed of the machine based on the formats.